


Friends, or Something Like That

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Episode: s07e19 Transition, Friendship, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-01-17
Updated: 2008-01-17
Packaged: 2019-05-31 09:21:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15116447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: The possiblity of success almost made rejection tolerable.





	Friends, or Something Like That

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

  
Author's notes: Done for a ficlet challenge to use the words toast and newspaper. The article of clothing was bellbottoms.  


* * *

“Morning.”

Josh stumbled into the kitchen late Wednesday morning. Hogan smiled as she spooned eggs onto a plate. Rilo Kiley played a bit too loud on the stereo. Josh turned it down.

“Hey there sleepyhead. I checked to see if you were breathing about an hour ago. How does it feel to sleep until 10:45?”

“Really weird. I don’t think I've ever done it before.” He ran his hand over his hair, which was sticking up on one side and flat in the back.

“Well you can scratch it off your to-do list.” She said.

“It wasn’t on my to-do list.”

“That is part of the problem Lyman.”

He smirked, going to the refrigerator for orange juice. It was he and Hogan’s third day together in paradise and getting harder for him not to make a move on her. Josh didn’t want rejection…his fragile ego had taken some heavy blows lately. He needed to go into a corner and recover before a bold step like that.

“Where can I buy a newspaper around these parts?” he asked, sitting down at the table with his glass.

“Nowhere.”

“C’mon, we’re in Maui, not Siberia. I'm sure they have a Chronicle, Times, Sun, or something like that.”

“Josh, you are supposed to be getting away from it all.” Hogan put a plate of bacon and eggs in front of him. “Getting away, in case you didn’t know, means no Chronicle, Times, or any of those things. Don’t think I don’t know you secretly watch CNN in the dead of the night or text message Charlie about five times a day.”

“He keeps telling me to enjoy my vacation.” Josh muttered. “They're all against me right now.”

“You're adorable when you pout but give it a rest. A year from now when you're up to your elbows in work and the world is pulling you in a million different directions, you're going to wish you enjoyed this time.”

“I thrive in that environment.” He reasoned.

“Oh, so Sam sent you away and the President-elect agreed because you were thriving? Oh, why didn’t you just say so?”

“I know.” He looked up at her, trying to ignore that she only wore bikini bottoms and one of his oversized tank tops with no bra. He was sure she was not being a tease. He didn’t think she was being a tease. “Did you make this?”

“Yeah. Aren’t you hungry? Do you want some toast?”

“I didn’t know you could cook. CJ can't cook.”

“I'm not CJ. She is getting better though.” Hogan replied laughing. She put a bagel in the toaster. “I can do it enough to survive. One thing I love about DC is all the restaurants. I won't have to do it much.”

“I'm sure you'll never be lacking for men wanting to take you out.” He said.

“Whatever.” 

“These eggs are really good.”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full. I thought we might take a walk on the beach today. You need to get out Lyman; get some sun.”

“It’s pretty cloudy.”

Josh recoiled when she pinched him. She definitely picked that little habit up from her Aunt. He rubbed his arm.

“You know what I mean. You're going out today if I have to drag you. We’re supposed to be here having fun, remember?”

“Yeah. OK, OK, we have three days left. I will let you run the show.”

Hogan clapped her hands together. The bagel popped up and she joined Josh at the table, giving him half.

“How did you know I liked the top?” he asked.

“Wild guess. So we will go to the beach this morning and play in the ocean. Then we can come back and watch a movie, maybe nap on the couch. Tonight it’s celebrating on the town. I packed these adorable red bellbottoms that I'm dying to wear.”

“They're back in style?”

“What, bellbottoms? They never really left.”

“For a while they really, really did.”

“And what do you know of it?” she asked. “For the past two decades I think you’ve only worn Armani suits.”

“Wrong! I actually prefer Ralph Lauren thank you very much. Sam tells me Sean John has a wonderful line.”

“We can go shopping. That might be fun to put on the schedule for tomorrow.”

It might be fun if I kissed you, Josh thought, trying to stuff the feeling back down his throat with the bagel. She sat in the chair next to him, her knees in her chest, looking young, innocent, beautiful, sexy, and so free. She had just lost her beloved grandfather and she still looked so…yeah maybe he would kiss her tomorrow. The possibility of success almost made rejection tolerable.

“So um, I was wondering…when we get back to Washington…I mean, after the trip…?”

“What?” Hogan laughed. “Josh, you're tripping over your words.”

“I know.” He cleared his throat. “When will we see each other again; when real life comes calling? I…I was just thinking about it.”

“My Aunt offered me a job.”

“You're going to be at the White House?” It was almost too good to be true.

“Yeah.” Hogan nodded. “I thought about not taking the offer; nepotism and all that. How many opportunities does one get to work at the White House?”

“I'm going on my ninth year.”

“You're quite special.”

The statement made Josh smile. Hogan reached out and stroked his arm.

“You're not the only one who needs this time off Lyman. This past year has been a real roller coaster ride for me. I want to take this time to cleanse and reenergize before real life comes.”

“I know that and I've probably been such a lousy friend. Here I sit whining about me, me, me when I should be asking how you are.”

“Don't worry about it.” Hogan waved off the statement. “I'm fine.”

“It’s important to me that I'm as good a friend to you as you have been to me recently.”

“You are.”

That didn’t sound at all convincing but Hogan obviously did not want to talk about her problems. Josh was not a pusher but he wanted to be there for her. He wanted to be there almost more than he’d wanted anything in a very long time.

“I'm not.” he said. “I don’t think I am.”

“You were exiled to Maui and you chose me as your companion. That’s a good friend Josh. We’re together now, going to have some fun, and that’s what matters.”

“It’s because I like you. I asked you here because I like you.”

Oh my God, had he just said that aloud? He actually said that and the floor had not swallowed him whole. She knew now and dammit if Josh still didn’t feel as if he carried a twenty-pound weight in his stomach whenever she was within fifty feet of him. This was how he used to feel when Amy Gardner was around; that didn’t turn out at all as he’d planned. 

He wanted Hogan to desire him as much as he desired her. But was desire all he felt? Oh God now was not the time for this…Josh Lyman had to help run the free world. Didn’t Josh Lyman always have to help run the free world in one way or another?

“Yeah?” she pushed sun-kissed blonde hair behind her ear.

“I'm pretty positive.”

“Then I could probably convince you to go dancing tonight.” She said.

“You could probably convince me to do damn near anything.”

“Finish your breakfast.”

Josh laughed, doing what she told him. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Maybe it was playing tricks on him but it seemed as if Hogan was blushing. The feelings might be mutual after all.

***


End file.
